Independent musicians must prioritize owning their rights, embrace hard work over shortcuts, and build audiences through authentic engagement, CD Baby President Molly Neuman told attendees at The Great Escape festival in Brighton, England.
Owning Your Rights Is Non-Negotiable
Independence in music today is defined by one principle, Neuman said: “Independence is about owning your rights. If you ever want to make a change, if you ever want to do something different, it comes down to owning your rights.” CD Baby, which pioneered digital distribution for independent artists nearly three decades ago, allows artists to retain full ownership of their work while accessing professional-grade distribution tools without major-label contractual constraints.
Sustainable Growth Requires Work and Authenticity
Neuman cautioned that ambition alone is insufficient. “You have to work really hard,” she said. “We’ve realized you can’t sugarcoat it. You have to be real and tell artists what works and what doesn’t, in a kind way.” She advised against services that promise quick streams or revenue, and instead pointed to incremental, sustainable practices. These include:
- Building a presence in local music communities
- Developing an authentic social media voice
- Following best practices on streaming platforms
“It’s good old, traditional marketing,” Neuman said. “It’s also about getting out there and finding spaces where an audience is sincerely there for discovery, and then building in modern tools and methods, like playlists and other services.”
Prioritizing Serious Artists Over Upload Volume
With over 100,000 tracks uploaded to streaming platforms daily, statistics indicate a large share is low-effort content aimed at manipulating algorithms. Only 13% of uploaded tracks ever surpass 1,000 streams. Neuman said CD Baby is deliberately moving away from a volume-driven model. “Distribution volume is not the priority for the future of CD Baby,” she said. “We’re focused on being a destination for artists who are serious about their careers and really want to grow their audience.” This philosophy shapes the company’s pay-per-release model, which encourages intentionality, and its ongoing collaboration with digital service providers (DSPs) to combat platform abuse.
AI Tools Gain Traction Among Credible Creators
On artificial intelligence, Neuman noted a shift in creator attitudes. “The mindset of creators is shifting. Credible producers and very credible songwriters are talking about the AI tools they’re using, whether 100% AI or partial, and how they can’t work without them,” she said. CD Baby does not accept fully AI-generated music for distribution. However, as artist workflows grow more complex, the company is helping develop new metadata requirements, policies, and features on its own platform and with partners to protect independent artists and improve transparency.
